Having seen that principle portrayed so graphically in Ezra and Nehemiah, we turn now to an outstanding exception. God transforms the girl Hadassah from a lowly orphan into Esther, queen of the world’s superpower. Paradoxes abound. The story begins with Persian men keeping their wives in subjection (Esther 1:18-20), which results in Esther’s rise to power over male enemies (Esther 7-9). In Esther 2:10, 20, Mordecai is the guardian and Hadassah obeys him. In Esther 4:17, Esther is the queen and Mordecai obeys her.
Throughout the story, Ahasuerus, also called Xerxes the Great, reigns supreme. Queen Esther must gain his approval before she can act. But given permission, her royal authority is real. She has come to the kingdom—to her royal position— for such a time as this (Esther 4:14). That is why Esther and her uncle, now the prime minister, issue an imperial edict for Jews “with full written authority…. The command of Esther confirmed these practices of Purim” (Esther 9:29, 32). To this day, Jews still observe Esther’s edict.
What do we learn from Esther? A lesson well stated by Daniel 4:17, “The Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will and sets over it the lowliest of men”—or, as seen in Esther, the lowliest of women. She begins as an exile and orphan and she rises to a royal throne. Though God’s name never appears in the book of Esther, who can doubt that God is working providentially? Who can doubt God’s purpose to save His people from genocide? God can work in any way He wants. This is similar to the case of Deborah whom God raises up to face a national crisis. Does Deborah’s case create a new order? After Deborah, the pattern of male leadership returns and continues for centuries. In the same way, does Esther’s case change future patterns? Again, the normal pattern resumes and extends all the way into New Testament times. God can work in any way He wants, and His initiative establishes the trend that returns after each exception.